‘I’m making myself a doggy coat.’ Kentucky man accused of killing, skinning four dogs

An Eastern Kentucky man was arrested late last month after admitting to Kentucky State Police that he killed four dogs so he could make a fur coat.

According to an arrest citation, Jonathan Watkins, of Floyd County, told a neighbor he had been skinning dogs.

Despite Watkins being covered in blood, the neighbor did not believe him at first because of Watkins’ past mental illness, state police said.

The neighbor later observed four animal skins on Watkins’ front porch and two skinned dog carcasses hanging over the porch banister, an arrest citation states. Two of the his dogs were missing, and he also believed two of his neighbor’s dogs were missing, he told police.

When state police responded to the report of animal cruelty at Watkins’ residence, located in the town of David, Watkins had a large hunting knife in a holster hanging from his belt and blood on his clothing, the arrest citation states. The trooper removed knife from Watkins’ belt and observed that it was 8 to 10 inches in length.

The trooper then asked Watkins why he was covered in blood, to which he responded, “I’m making myself a doggy coat,” according to court records.

Watkins, 38, admitted to killing his neighbor’s dogs and said there wasn’t anything wrong with him making a fur coat. Asked why he killed the dogs, Watkins said, “I wanted a doggy coat,” state police said.

After he killed the dogs, Watkins threw them over a hill adjacent to his house, he told state police. The state police trooper found two carcasses at that location, the arrest citation states.

“I stabbed them in the heart with my knife,” Watkins said, when asked how he killed the dogs, according to court records.

Watkins was charged with four counts of torture of a dog with serious physical injury or death and two counts of tampering. He pleaded not guilty last Friday and a psychiatric evaluation was ordered for him.

He is being held in the Floyd County jail without bond.